Turbine wheel



L. B. SWARTWOUT.

(No Model.)

TURBINE WHEEL.

Patented NOV.

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UNETED LORENZO'B. SXVARTWVOUT, OF THREE RIVERS, MICHIGAN.

TURBlNE WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 307,881, dated November 11,1884.

Application filed March 23, 1584. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LORENZO B. SWART- WOUT, of Three Rivers, in the county of St. J oseph and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Turbine Wheels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved water-wheel, and is intended to form an improvement of the water-wheel patented by me on the date of November 27, 1883, and numbered 289,169; and my invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings; which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a plan view ofmy improved water-wheel, partly in horizontal section. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of one of the guide-wings of the movable curb. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of one of the buckets, and Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the step upon which the water-wheel is sup ported. Fig. 6 shows the threat in the curb open. I

A water-wheel, A, which is journaled to run in the casing Bin the usual manner, is provided along its periphery with a series of vertical buckets, O, which are open at the outer circular edge of the wheel. The said buckets are not cylindrical, but have an inverted bell shapethat is to say, they increase in width at the bottom toward the inner and outer edge of the wheel, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby a larger discharge-opening is formed. The lower ends of the partition-walls of the buckets are concaved or inclined in the reverse direction of that in which the wheel is to rotate, thereby increasing the power of the wheel. Each bucket is provided with a chanifered edge, m, at the outer end-that is, at the end near the outer cylindrical edge of the wheelso that the beveled parts of the bucket-walls will be at right angles to the fixed wings formed in the throat T in the curb of the wheel.

The water rushing through the throats strikes against the ends of the buckets squarely, and thereby the power of the wheel will be greatly augmented. The curb consists of a fixed in ner section, E, which is attached to the casing B of the wheel, and an outer section, F, which can be rotated forward and backward around the fixed section E. The movable section F of the curb is provided with a rack, G, which engages with a pinion, H, mounted on a vertical shaft, J, provided with a hand-wheel or other device, whereby the movable section F of the curb can be turned in one direction or the other.

On the movable sectionF grooved guide-pulleys L are held by suitable arms, which guidepulleys rest on tracks M, formed upon the fixed section E of the curb, and guide the movable section F, and hold the same in position in relation to the fixed section E. Upright wings N, which are arranged at equal distances apart, are secured to the top and bottom of the outer movable section, F, of the curb, and are placed tangentially, or nearly so, to the outer rim of the wheel. The inner ends of the said wings N extend to the rim of the wheel A, but only the outer ends of the said wings N are secured to the movable section F of the curb, so that their inner ends can move freely within the fixed section Eof the curb. \Vings O, which extend from the outer rim of the wheel A to the outer rim of the movable curbsection F, are arranged tangentially, ornearly so, to the rim .of the wheel A, and are secured to the top and bottom pieces of the fixed section E of the curb, but are not attached to the top and bottom pieces of the movable-ringshaped section F, so that said section can be moved without affecting the wings O.

P are a series of vertical curved wings, one of which is hinged in any suitable manner to each of the wings N of the movable curved section. F, in such manner that they act as stops for the ingress of water between every alternate throat formed between the wings. In Fig. 3 the construction of these curved wings or stops is shown in detail, wherein a, is a rod soldered or otherwise secured to the wing N.

b are the hinges of the stop, and c are small anti-friction rollers upon the free end of the stop, so that the same may easily travel upon the adjoining wing 0 when the movable section-of the curb is adjusted.

R is a vertically-adjustable step for the vertical shaft S of the water-wheel. In Fig. 5 the construction of this step is shown in detail, wherein d is the step proper, which is formed spherical, and enters a correspondingly-formed socket in the lower end of the shaft S. The step d is secured to a plate, a, which loosely fits into the rectangular box f. g is a wedge-key entered between the plate 6 and the bottom of the box f.

h is a brace upon which the boXf is secured and supported, and which in turn is secured upon its outer ends to the-under side of the fixed curb-section.

In practice, the operation is as follows: If the water is to be admitted to the wheel, the outer movable section, F, of the curb is moved in the direction of the arrow by means of the rackand pinion described until the throats T admit a sufiicient volume of water to rush through the same to the wheel, the ends of the buckets of which it strikes rectangularly. If the water is to be shut off, the outer section, F, of the curb is moved in the inverse direction of the arrow, and when the wings N are caused to approach the wings O for the purpose of shutting off the water-supply the space between the receding face of the said wing N and that side of the adjacent wing O facing the said receding face increases, which space isautomatrcally filled by the self-adjusting stops P, thus completely shutting off and preventing the ingress of water to the wheel. If it were not for these curved wings P the moving of the straight wings would have no effect, as it would simply close one orifice and open an other. The curved wings]? in the false throats U will be always held closed by the pressure of the water, and prevent the same from pass ing through them.

To get the greatest effectiveness of the water passing into the wheel, I use a large number of buckets, considerably larger than has been thought practicable heretofore. These divide the water so that it can act only against the circumference of the wheel, and. exert the greatest leverage obtainable. At the same time the water is made to strike squarely against the ends of the buckets.

In my former patent above mentioned I form a bevel upon the outer ends of the bracket by bending the plates rearward; but I find that this construction reduces to a certain extent the number of buckets I am able to construct, and also reduces the inlet-opening of the buckets. This difiiculty I overcome now by chamfering the partitions O, which form the buckets, as shown in the drawings. This I am enabled to do owing to the large number of buckets which the water can only strike upon their outer edges. An additional advantage I gain from this construction is that the lower curved end, i, is now more easily formed than heretofore. The step d, I intend to make of lignum-vitte, and the wedge-key d of other suitable wood. This construction makes a step for the spindle which will not be liable to be rendered inoperative by rust or sticky mud. When the water is completely shut ofi" from the wheel, the rod 04 of the hinged wings P touches the guide-wings N, whereby a more perfect shutoff is obtained than by the hinged wings P alone.

What I claim as my invention is '1. A curb for a water-wheel, consisting of two concentric sections within the same plane, one fixed, the other movable, each section having affixed thereto wings of equal length, set obliquely to the radii of the wheel, and extending from the inner circumference of the inner section to the outer circumference of the outer section, the wings of vone section alternating with the wings of the other section, to form throats through the curb,each alternate throat being provided with selfadjusting stops hinged to the wings, all combined, arranged, and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a water-wheel substantially as described, the curved stops P, provided with the rod a, anti-friction rollers, and hinges.

LORENZO B. SXVAR'IWV OUT.

Vitnesses:

H. S. SPRAGUE, E. ScULLY. 

